Originally released as an LP, Lonesome Road is a brief collection of ten songs drawn from two 1964 Hoyt Axton albums, Sings Bessie Smith and Explodes. In the '60s Axton's music veered toward folk and rock 'n' roll rather than country, with limited success. "Young Man" and "Big Red" are straight-ahead rockers, and the Bessie Smith material is performed with horns and clarinet in an approximation of the originals, although Axton's vocals are often delivered in an unappealing growl. Given the scarcity of Axton's '60s recordings on CD, serious fans may find something to enjoy here. ~ Greg Adams